Magnetized game board configurations



Feb. 25, 1964 R; l. GENIN 3,122,684

' MAGNETIZED GAME BOARD CONFIGURATIONS Filed Aug. 10, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill-Ill 1N vENToR ROBERT 1. GEN/N,

ATTORNEY.

Feb. 25, 1964 R. l. GENlN MAGNETIZED GAME BOARD CONFIGURATIoNs 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l0, 1961 v F/G. ll.

FIG. 9

INVENTORI ROBERT l. GEN/N,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3 122,684 MAGNETIZED GAMEBOARD CONFGURAHNS RobertI. Genin, New Rochelle, N.Y., assignor to Child Guidance Toys, Inc.,Bronx, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 10, 1961, Ser. No.130,686 1 Ciaim. (tCl. 317-159) This invention relates to magnetizedgame board configurations and more particularly to the constructionthereof.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide amagnetized game board configuration which is so formed, shaped anddesigned and made of such materials both as to the configuration and tothe magnet as to permit quick, easy and secure assembly of the magnetinto the configuration with the assurance that the magnet will staysecure in the configuration and not easily separated therefrom upon theconfigurations being given rough treatment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a game boardconfiguration of closed contour on its face and in which the magnet canbe easily assembled thereinto from its rear face and into a pocketconfined in the run of the configuration Without requiring added widthor length to the configuration and readily adapted to contain a magnetpiece of bar shape.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a magnetized gameboard configuration or element of plastic material in which the sidewalls of the pocket provided for the magnet can yield slightly to permitthe assembly thereinto of an oversize magnetic bar piece which is madeof compressible or yieldable rubber-like material having magneticparticles embedded therein and wherein the pocket walls are providedwith run projections that extend into grooves in the rubber-likemagnetic piece upon the magnetic piece being depressed into the pocketof the configuration, the walls of the pocket and the magnetic piecegiving sufficiently whereby the magnetic piece will be mechanically,compressibly and frictionally locked in a grip-tight manner within thepocket of the configuration and not easily removable therefrom.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a magnetizedgame board configuration with which the magnetic bar piece can beassembled into the configuration by a snap fitting operation as by thebreaking of the magnetic piece from a long strip by the application withpressure from the thumb While holding the long strip of the magnetizedmaterial in the hand, whereby the handling and assembling of the barpiece into the configurations and between pocket walls Will be greatlyfacilitated.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a magnetized game boardconfiguration, which, while having the above objects in mind, is ofsimple construction, has a minimum number of parts, easy to assemble,light in weight, of pleasing appearance, will hold its shape and haverigidity and a flush magnetized face for engagement with the magneticgame board surface, efiicient and effective in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which FIGURES l, 2 and 3 are respectively top, side andbottom views of the magnetized rubber-like strip from which the magneticbar pieces are broken as the assembler applies pressure with the thumbto break off and force the magnetic piece into a configuration well,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the magnetic piece asviewed on line 4 4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a lettercongurat-ion as Viewed across the width of the pocket well thereof inwhich the magnetic piece is inserted and as viewed on line 5-5 of FIG.10,

"nce

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View taken across the run of one of theletter configurations as viewed on line 7-7 of FIG. 10 and illustratingthe manner in which the side walls of the pocket or well are expandedwhile the magnetic piece is being forced thereinto,

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional View of the configuration of FIG. 6 with themagnetic piece fully assembled thereinto, the View being taken on line7-7 thereof,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the configuration shown inFIGS. 6, 7 and 10, and looking into the empty pocket well into which themagnetic bar piece is to be contained,

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary bottom plan View looking upon the configurationw-ith the magnetic piece fully assembled therein with some exaggerationbeing made as to the manner in which the sides of the configurationpocket will have been expanded to assemble the run projections of thepocket side walls within the side grooves of the magnetic piece,

FIG. l0 is a bottom plan View of a collection of miscellaneous letterconfigurations still united with the mold scrap and the pocket of someof the configurations having been filled with the magnetic pieces whilethe pocket of others are yet unfilled,

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary elevational View of a numeral configurationbroken away and with illustration being made in detail as to how thethumb is applied while retaining the magnetic assembling piece length inthe hand to effect the breaking off and the forcing of the magneticpiece into the pocket well of the configuration, and

FIG. l2 is a perspective view of two plastic numeral configurations heldtogether by their molding scrap and one of the configurations beingbroken away and the magnet separated therefrom to show the shape andinterior of the pocket well thereof.

In a pending application of Robert I. Genin and Murray D. Zak, SerialNo. 112,725, filed May 25, 1961, there is disclosed a method ofpreparing the magnetized rubberlike pieces shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 3from a roll of magnetized rubber-like strip extruded at the supplysource into continuous lengths of one hundred feet or more and theafiixing of the work piece into the game-board configuration of a manneralso illustrated herein in FIG. 11 of the present application. Thepresent invention deals with the actual mechanical structure of theconfiguration, its material adapted to flex as the magnet bar piece ispressed or forced into the configuration pocket or well and to theshape, size and compressibility of the magnetic piece.

The magnetic bar stick lengths indicated generally at 15 in FIGS. 1, 2,3 and 1l are extruded from more or less brittle rubber-like,compressible and yieldable material. They are provided on theirunderface 16 with magnetized metal filings embedded therein. Thepolarity of opposite nature N and S lies on opposite sides of thelongitudinally-extending groove 17 running continuously throughout themagnetic length and formed therein from the initial extruding of therubber-like material from which the sticks or length 1S are made as inthe manner described in the above pending application. The stick lengthsat the time they Will have been made up are scored transversely asindicated at 18 so that magnetic bar pieces 19 will be broken evenlyfrom the stick length of material when pressure is applied by the thumb21 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 11 while the fingers 22 of the handhave grasped the magnetic stick length 15.

The stick lengths 15 are also provided in the extruding operation withside assembly grooves 23 and 24 running adjacent to the bottom 16 or thestick piece 15 and for a purpose to be more clearly set forth.

Configurations 2S defining letters, which may as well define numerals orany other shapes which are of closed alsace/i contour on their frontface to appear smooth but are open on their rear or bottom face toprovide hollow runs 26 and within which intermediate the length thesehollow runs Aare provided with pocket wells 27 adapted to contain themagnetic bar pieces 19 in such a manner that they are grip tight andcannot be easily released therefrom and so that their bottom faces 16and polar areas N and S at the opposite sides of the groove 17 will lieonly slightly extended from the bottom edges of the coniiguration andwill engage with at game board surface layers of magnetizable material,and by which the letter, numeral or other type configurations can bedisposed and supported upon the game board in the exact place to whichit has been put. These configurations with the magnets in them being ineffect magnets which will cling with force to the magnetizable gameboard surface. rIhese*conligurations are molded in groups and in FIG.l0, there is shown these configurations as taken from the plastic moldand still bearing scrap plastic 28 and their attachings 29 therewith,leaving the letters attached to the scrap they are better handled formass loading or assembly with the magnet bar pieces 19 while beingconveyed past a loading station at which the worker v is applying in themanner shown in FIG. 11, the magnetic bar pieces to the configurations(from the stick lengths 15. This procedure is better illustrated in theabovepending application and claimed therein.

The pocket wells 27 are deep and are provided with semi-yieldable sidewalls 31 and 32 of greater length than the width oi the pocket well 27and which as best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9 can give or yield due tothe plastic being often of polyethylene and slightly flexible orsemi-rigid. The width of the pocket well 27 is slightly less than thewidth of the bar compressible rubber-like magnetic bar piece 19, thedifference being of the order of tento tifteen-thousandths of an inch.Thus, when the magnetic bar piece 19 is forced into the pocket well 27in the manner illustrated in FIG. 11, the side walls 31 and 32 of thepocket well will be expanded as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9 to a slightamount and the magnetic piece being compressed a slight amount so thatthe magnetic bar piece when once inserted in the configuration pocket orwell 27 will lbe resiliently and frictionally gripped so that themagnetic piece will at all times remain in the configuration and not besubject to easy dislodgment. To further grip the magnetic piece andmechanically lock the magnetic piece within the well 27, opposing ribs33 and 34 are provided on the respective side walls 31 and 32 and areadapted to be seated respectively in the respective side grooves 23 and24 of the magnetic bar piece 19 when the bar piece has been forced homewithin the pocket well 27, FIGS. 7 and 9.

To limit the extent to which the magnetic piece 19 is forced into thepocket Well 27 and to insure engagement of the wall ribs 33 and 34 withthe grooves 23 and 24 of the magnetic piece 19 to mechanically lock the'magnetic piece 19 within the pocket well 27, longitudinallyspacedtransversely-extending ribs 35 and 36 are provided in the bottom of thepocket well 27 against which the top smooth face of the magnetic piecewill come to rest on being forced home as best seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and12.

Due to a slight oversize in the width of the magnetic piece as' bestshown in an exaggerated manner in FIG. 9, the side walls 31 and 32 ofthe conguration pocket well 27 will be slightly bulged and placed intension to insure longitudinal gripping action and the mechanicalseating of the ribs 33 and 34 in the grooves in an outward direction andnormal to the run 26 of the configuration 25.

in FIG. 10, it will be noticed that the run 26 of the letterconfigurations can extend in any direction according to the particularletter configuration but generally longitudinal or inclined andtransversely as with the letters S and E In a numeral l configuration asshown at 2S in PEG. 12, the run is longitudinal and these numerals canhave scrap 28 and the breakable attaching portions 29 that relievenumeral configurations 25 from the scrap 28. These numerals have thesame pocket wells27 as the letter' configurations and their walls areexpanded in the same manner upon forcing the magnetic piece 19 thereintoand against the bottom space ribs 35 and 36 and such that grooves 23 and24 receive the ribs 33 and 34 on the opposite side walls of the pocketwell 27.

lt will be noted that when the magnetic bar piece 19 is forced into thepocket well 27 of the letter or numeral configuration 25 or 25 asillustrated in FIG. l1 that it is most easily started by locating oneend iirst of the stick length into the well 27, this effecting theinitial expansion and giving of the side walls of the pocket well and aswell the compression of the magnetic bar piece so that with furtherapplication of force with the thumb 21 the magnetic bar piece 19, can beeasily snapped into place and driven home into the well.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe within the spirit and scope of the present invention as deiined bythe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

1n combination, a configuration body of semi-rigid plastic materialhaving an elongated pocket well extending upwardly from the bottomthereof, said pocket well having side walls adapted to be slightlyexpanded and outwardly bulged and having an open top, a bar magnet ofrectangular cross section having top, bottom and side faces, and beingformed of compressible rubber-like material with magnetized metalparticles embedded therein, said bar magnet having a width slightlylarger than the normal width of the pocket well whereby upon theinsertion of the magnet into the pocket well the side walls will beexpanded and the bar magnet will be slightly compressed so that the barmagnet will be contained within the coniiguration pocket by adequategripping and frictional action, at least one side of the elongatedpocket well having a rib extending parallel to the open top, saidrubber-like bar magnet having a corresponding groove on its side faceparallel to its top face for receiving said rib when the bar magnet hasbeen forced home in the pocket well, the bottom of said pocket wellhaving spaced raised ribs, and said bar magnet being so dimensioned thatwhen its bottom face engages said raised ribs the groove in the sideface thereof will receive the rib on the side of the pocket, and the topface of the magnet will be flush with the open top of the pocket welland exposed for juxtaposition to an adjacent metal surface ReferencesCited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,914,753 MorrellJune 20, 1933 2,254,498 Scharf Sept. 2, 1941 2,935,936 Woodring et alMay 10, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 657,562 Great Britain T Sept. 19, 1951

